Today’s quick review: Mr. Right. Martha (Anna Kendrick), a quirky young woman fresh out of a bad relationship, finally meets the right man when she bumps into an eccentric but charming man (Sam Rockwell) in the convenience store. Their whirlwind romance is going smoothly until Martha finds out who he actually is: a reformed hitman on a mission to kill those who would hire him, now on the run from his old colleague Ed Hopper (Tim Roth).
Mr. Right is an action comedy romance about an offbeat relationship between a woman and an assassin. Anna Kendrick stars as Martha, an energetic, spirited woman who’s never really fit in. Sam Rockwell plays opposite her as an anonymous hitman with a few screws loose who’s decided to use his talents for good. Mr. Right combines madcap romance with a light crime adventure as Martha gets pulled into a world of killers, gangsters, and dancing.
Mr. Right hits a very specific tone that won’t match everyone’s tastes. The comedy is a mixture of quirky characters, snark, and black humor stemming from Martha’s new boyfriend’s world of casual violence. The film manages to be jaunty and upbeat throughout, never veering too violent or too macabre in spite of a fair amount of action. However, the comedy and the romance do depend heavily on the film’s two leads, making them somewhat hit-or-miss.
More broadly, Mr. Right doesn’t pack enough of a punch to win over skeptical viewers. The humor is blunt and only coarsely aimed, scoring a lot of approximate hits but never giving the impression of control or finesse. The action has a certain charm to it, as well as a unique gimmick in the form of Rockwell’s superb reflexes, but it lacks the weight of dedicated action films. Similarly, the characters are vivid and entertaining, but not resonant.
How much you get out of Mr. Right will depend heavily on how much you like its leads. Mr. Right has enough charm to click for the right viewer, but its unusual tone and mixed execution make it an enjoyable niche pick. For a better-developed take on a similar premise, checkout Grosse Pointe Blank. For another Anna Kendrick comedy, try Pitch Perfect. For a black comedy with a similarly unhinged performance from Sam Rockwell, try Seven Psychopaths.
6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a fun tone, decent comedy, and a mixed bag of a romance.